Recommend a recorder that doesn't boot up or have... SOLVED

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Snarl 12/8
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Recommend a recorder that doesn't boot up or have... SOLVED

Post by Snarl 12/8 » Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:37 pm

Hey,

I really want to record to something that comes on fairly instantly and has, pretty much, one knob per function layout. I'd like it to not be able to do email, web surfing, etc. I have ADHD and I really need to limit my distractions and set up some limitations for myself in my music area.

I already have a few mixers, including a Ramsa DA7, which I love, (it has, basically, one knob per function once you select a track, I'm fine with that) but unfortunately it has TDIF cards, instead of ADAT which limits its connectivity to the hard disk recorders that are out there significantly. My other mixers are all 8 channels or less analog. I'm open to anything between 4 and 24 tracks, but I think 16 would be ideal.

What have you all tried and liked or disliked in the "stand alone" digital recorder market? Anything I should look for or avoid? It's so hard to tell which ones have intuitive interfaces and good converters or not based on eBay photos.

Oh, my budget is somewhere between $500 and maybe $1500 if I sell the DA7 and some other stuff. I was thinking about an MPC5000, but that looks like menu hell to me.

Thoughts? Thanks.
Last edited by Snarl 12/8 on Mon May 07, 2012 2:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:43 pm

Sounds like you're talking about a tape machine.

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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:51 pm

I know. I broke out my old Fostex 80 yesterday to see if it was just the heads that were shot on it, and it won't rewind. There's a little bit of scorching on a board in there and a fuse is toast. It toasted the replacement the minute I turned it on. All that reminded me of what a hassle tape can be. I know it has its joys too.

I think what I'm talking about is an Alesis HD24. I've got a motu 2408 mk1. Can that thing really translate back and forth between tdif and adat, on the fly, without adding latency or artifacts? Cause if so, I might just bite the bullet and get a HD24. Then, down the road I can swap out my DA7 and Motu for a better quality analog board.
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Post by Brett Siler » Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:20 pm

ADAT! :wink:

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Post by vvv » Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:37 pm

I mentioned the Zoom R16 to you before.

Now, it has menus and all kindsa options, but I just use it as a recorder.

See, you can set it up as simple as you want, and then, save the set-up, never look at the menus again.

As I use it, I turn it on, it's set with no effects, 24 bit 44.1, and done, hit "record".

I usually run snare, kick, OH's, floor tom/ride, room and room2/vocal to record myself and the drummer; that's 7 tracks.

I use the Hi-Z input (8th track) to DI the bass and it sounds fine by itself, and takes ITB processing well.

I use a 16 gig SD card what'll hold almost 3 hours of 8-trackage. I pull the card and transfer the files to the pooter for editing.

The only complaint I have is the R16 only has two phantom powered channels, but that's easily resolved.

Oh, and it's US$399 or so, and SD cards are cheap.
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Post by rhythm ranch » Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:09 pm

Alesis HD24

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Post by kayagum » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:55 am

+1 on HD24.

Although it's sweet to use lightpipe to connect to the deck (I do that with my ZED R16 board), it has 24 I/O and A/D/A conversion (12 if you have the XR version for the higher 96kHz).

If you already have a board you like, and have the cords or snake, it's hard to beat it.

Oh- and it's pretty close to bullet proof too.

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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:44 pm

Has anyone here used the MOTU 2408 to do standalone TDIF <- -> ADAT conversion? Like, can I put the motu between the TDIF's on my DA7 and the ADAT I/O on the HD24 and just send audio to be recorded and do overdubs while monitoring ad hoc channels on the HD24 without having to futz with the motu for every different track configuration? And does it add latency? I've googled for hours and can't get a bead on how successful the standalone converter thing is a real-world recording situation. It seems like maybe it was more intended for one-way mass conversion, like importing tracks off an adat or something, not overdubbing. Bueler?
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Post by rhythm ranch » Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:27 pm

Wouldn't it be cheaper to find a ADAT or D/A converter card for the DA7? I realize they may be more difficult to locate than a 2408, but they're out there.

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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:39 pm

rhythm ranch wrote:Wouldn't it be cheaper to find a ADAT or D/A converter card for the DA7? I realize they may be more difficult to locate than a 2408, but they're out there.
I already have the 2408. It's how the DA7 is getting to Reaper currently. The ADAT cards that I've seen for the DA7 are scarce and expensive. I'm almost positive a 2408 is cheaper than 2 ADAT cards, probably just one. Moot point anyway.
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Post by joel hamilton » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:48 am

Digital without the convenience sounds like a pretty terrible way to rid yourself of personal hangups.
:roll:

Why not simply make a decision during recording. The whole "turn the screen off" thing actually makes me mental... Its like spray painting the windshield of your car so you don't get distracted and turn down every single road while desparately trying to get home.... simply ridiculous.

Focus.
Record.
Have a vision for where it needs to go.
Go there with any tools available.
Repeat forever.

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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:42 am

People referring to ADHD as a "personal hangup" makes me mental.

I can't focus, that's the whole point. All the focusing on focusing just makes it harder to focus. It's a brain wiring thing.

You can't appreciate that not every human being can thrive in front of a computer screen? I've watched videos of you working and I'm jealous. Not of your gear, or the people you get to work with, but of your focus. I just don't fucking have that. I can get hyperfocused, every once in a while if the conditions are just right and it feels so freakin' awesome, like a drug I can't find a dealer for. I'm just fishing around for ways to make recording more conducive to that. I'm glad you've found a system that works for you, please don't piss on my attempts to find mine.
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Post by dsw » Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:59 pm

Hi Snarl,

This is Donny down at SuperDigital. I have the Zoom R16 and 24 (which has more phantom power) in stock if you want to demo them at home to see if it's a good solution. I also have a lot of used standalone machines like the KorgD3200 and the Yamaha something or other.

I also have a DA7 with two ADAT cards and an RME ADAT interface (uses PCI so you need an old computer)

would love to help somehow.

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Post by joel hamilton » Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:41 am

Snarl 12/8 wrote:People referring to ADHD as a "personal hangup" makes me mental.

I can't focus, that's the whole point. All the focusing on focusing just makes it harder to focus. It's a brain wiring thing.

You can't appreciate that not every human being can thrive in front of a computer screen? I've watched videos of you working and I'm jealous. Not of your gear, or the people you get to work with, but of your focus. I just don't fucking have that. I can get hyperfocused, every once in a while if the conditions are just right and it feels so freakin' awesome, like a drug I can't find a dealer for. I'm just fishing around for ways to make recording more conducive to that. I'm glad you've found a system that works for you, please don't piss on my attempts to find mine.
Are you actually diagnosed with ADHD? Because if you are, I apologize. If you are not, then the concept still stands regardless of you feeling like I am "pissing on your attempts"... Not being able to focus in the studio is not the "fault" of the knobs, dials, people, or computer screens in the room, and clearly is symptomatic of a larger issue. My post was fully in the spirit of compassion and looking to find a better way for someone to work. I don't know you, I don't know anything about you besides that you seem to want to blame the computer screen for a lack of focus. thats all the information i have to go on at this point.

If your goal is to do better work in the studio and you have personal issues, I have no place offering advice. If a working method for how to make recordings and how to mke records and how to move forward in your career is the question, then the premise is completely flawed in your original post here and doesn't warrant a 900 page argument over the relative merits of computer screens, because they are not the issue!

How about this....
I am getting blood all over my console, so can someone please suggest a console without faders because the blood keeps getting down in there where it is hard to clean. thanks.
So maybe the answer wouldn't address the information I have given because some astute reader may catch that if I have a gaping wound in my arm, and its oozing blood, that I may want to get THAT looked at rather than blaming the faders in my console for collecting the blood.

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Post by leigh » Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:40 am

The Zoom R16 looks great for portable/easy multitracking! Now if it just had a lightpipe input, so I could pick my own converters, I'd be sold. But it doesn't look like it does...

Joel: you should really get that arm looked at! ;)

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